The Changing World Of Latin Jazz

Edm - When many people think about Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes to mind, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is really taking care of with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people around the dance floor for a long time with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing number of artists have abandoned the oasis for several cultural and artistic influences. Nowadays, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum with the Caribbean and Latin america, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Edm - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part in the growth of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles just like the festejo and landó in to the style too a far more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has developed a unique approach together with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it has only recently been that artists have place a distinct emphasis upon the concept of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs as a foundation for jazz.

Argentina has always been recognized for it's passionate tango, and many musicians have discovered this music is really a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has produced a unique language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler has continued the task of influential composer Astor Piazzolla using a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often think about the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim when they think about the mixture of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, however the style is continuing to grow into something far more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has built upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and designed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a fresh York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Concert - The dance floor is certainly still part of Latin Jazz - just listen to the music activity of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a far more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a more diverse experience.